Reclamation and Ascendancy
by Sentinel 677
Summary: Imagine a Halo/Me Xover were humanity didn't become BFF's with the elites, stomp the turians at Shanxi, become besties with the quarians, defend the krogan and true geth against the 'EVIL' council and then kick said council to the curb. Imagine it didn't become just a retread of the first game. Imagine it didn't start with a timeline. This is my attempt at that.
1. Prolouge

Reclamation and Ascendancy

The year is 2615, and the winds of change are starting once again. Humanity has suffered greatly over the last century. Entire generations have perished. Entire families wiped out. Family trees have withered and died. The once vibrant voice of humanity has become nothing more than a whisper in the breeze. The hopes and dreams of an entire species had been burnt to a cinder alongside billions of its people. When humanity once gazed upon the stars with wonder and hope, they now look with nothing more than a pained and wary stare.

Wracked with dissent and strife, cracking at the seams humanity was no match for the brutal unstoppable march of the Covenant. A collection of alien races, grouped together in order to fulfil the mandate of their scheming prophets they fell upon humanity like a predator onto its hapless prey. Entire planets burned. Their populations powerless to stop them as the remains of their defenders burned in orbit above their worlds. Countless billions died as humanity was pushed backwards, powerless to stop the technologically superior juggernaut that was bearing down upon them.

Humanity almost perished then; screaming into the night for help, for a saviour. In their darkest hour, when all seemed lost, a flicker of hope appeared in the all-consuming blackness of fear: One man. One man who was taken from his home that he barely remembered. One man who defied all the odds. Not once, not twice but thrice he defied those who would seek to wipe humanity from the galaxy. He became a symbol, an emblem of humanity and its determination. He was the Master Chief.

But the Master Chief is gone now, as are most of the other brave souls who stood shoulder to shoulder and gave their lives for humanity. In their place stands a new generation, one which never had to live with the knowledge that every day brought you and all those you held close one step closer to being wiped out. They will see humanity rise above those around it. Ascendant. Triumphant.

It began at the close of the 26th century. Scientists had studied the Forerunner ruins on mars for years, but nothing major had ever come of them. But then they discovered something…else. Another set of ruins built inside the remnant of the Forerunner ones, newer and untouched. They yielded secrets that none could have ever dreamed off. The art of manipulating the mass of an object itself using a curious substance that had not yet been discovered, named, aptly enough, Element Zero. That was not all that happened, the discovery of the ruins activated a protocol left by its owners as one last gift to their successors, sending a signal out across the Orion Arm that activated a series of portals hidden in asteroids and moons across human space, from the edges of the Solar System to the fringes of Epsilon Indi. When a ship was sent through these strange devices they emerged out of another almost instantaneously, giving an FTL ability unmatched even by reverse engineered forerunner Slipspace drives.

It was from here that humanity once again expanded, aided by the marvellous technologies made possible through use of element zero. Although the Sangheli also managed this, they were still exhausted by constant struggles with the Covenant Remnant and the machinations of the Office of Naval Intelligence. New colonies, financed by the rebuilt human colonies under the governance of the UEG sprang up around the mapped out relay system. For the first time in over a hundred years there was hope again, and mutterings of a brighter future.

However, all was not as good as it seemed. The Insurrection, thought annihilated by the Covenant re-emerged once again, demanding freedom from 'tyranny' and the oversight of the UEG. Knowing they could not hope to rally support among the population, who were well aware of the sacrifices made by the men and women of the UNSC, they resorted to terror and piracy, becoming nothing more than twisted mockery of everything the original Insurrectionists stood for. The New Sangheli Dominion, formed by the Sangheli with the support of their Lekgolo and Unggoy allies began to stretch its muscles, and the uneasy peace between the UEG and NSD looked increasingly fragile.

It is upon this backdrop the stage is set. It is the year 2615, and the face of the galaxy is about to change beyond all recognition as two very different worlds collide in an event that will permanently change the course of galactic history.

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**Authors Note**

Wow. Okay, the prologue wasn't meant to be that longwinded. Basically this is my take on a Halo/Mass Effect fusion. While I won't reveal the plot just yet, know that I will not be writing yet another fic were humans and elites are BFF's and will team up to beat the idiot turians at Shanxi before going on to curb stomp the citadel because 'Humanity F**k Yeah!' before becoming a re-tread of the first game with some names switched and a token OC, humanity cosying up with the quarians, krogan and true geth before telling the council to shove off. And then dying because the author got bored. While I can't say how long the fic will be expect it to at least cover first contact, the rush for the Traverse, the Verge skirmishes, the Terminus Crusades and the Human-Batarian war. Some of these will last longer than others and some will be quite short.

I also can't promise a regular update schedule, but will try and finish this before developing any of my other ideas. A lot of the issues, such as the whole Forerunners/Flood/Protheans/Reapers issue will be resolved as the fic progresses with some bits left for readers to work out (but will be plotted, before you think that is an excuse for me not to think things through).

Again apologies for the bad prologue but I was trying to avoid to the standard info-dump timeline, because that seems lazy to me. Instead a lot of things will be revealed or extrapolated upon in the story or in a special 'codex extract' at the end of each chapter that will be there for world building purposes. This is my first fanfic, please Rate and Review (god I'm long-winded).


	2. Chapter 1

_Alright, here is the first full chapter, just before we dive into it I just want to say a massive thanks to all the people who reviewed, I'll be keeping in mind what you said. In the A/N at the bottom I'll be addressing some of the questions you asked at the time on writing, and now without further ado…_

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Reclamation and Ascendancy

Chapter 1: The Troupe is ready, the Stage is set.

_The Shanxi System, UNSC space, 2615._

_Destroyer UNSC Compass Rose._

Captain Adrien Derosier stood on the bridge of the _Compass Rose _and studied his surroundings. Around him the heart of the ship pulsed with life. Ensigns tapped away at their consoles, manipulating the screens of light with deft touches, the multitude of monitors and displays displaying all manner of information from the ships engine status to the weather in Shanxi's capital city. Even as a lowly lieutenant Adrien had enjoyed time spent on the bridge, and now as captain he could close his eyes and let the low hum of activity fill his ears. It was, to his mind, a most enjoyable sound. Unfortunately this was not the time for such luxuries. He leaned forward and studied the central display that showed the location of every ship currently in-system. Today was a big day for a lot of the crew, a chance to break away from the monotony of patrolling distant frontier colonies. Today the UNSC was sending a scout ship through the Shanxi relay to scout out and map what was on the other end. In order to ensure the operation went as smoothly as possible the _Compass Rose_, along with the three frigates _UNSC Argonaut, UNSC Surprise _and _UNSC Daring. _Adrien looked at the screen showing the feed from the starboard cameras facing the planet. The _Daring _moved slowly across the screen, surrounded by a trio of corvettes like fish to a wale. Four grey tough warships framed against the green tranquillity of the planet below.

The three corvettes were one of the many things made possible by the discovery of element zero. Small and nimble measuring at just over 100 metres they were the outriders of the fleet, designed to screen the bigger ships, from 450 metre destroyers and frigates to cruisers and carriers that easily reached over a kilometre in length. The key part was the mass drivers that, utilising element zero, could threaten the shields of other craft when used in tandem with the guns of other corvettes. Had the UNSC still been left with MAC's as their only option the corvettes would be far too small make mounting a MAC useful. Not that element zero made MAC's obsolete however; far from it. With the aid of mass effect fields ships could fire their MACs at speeds only dreamt of by the captains of the 26th century. The _Compass Rose _was a perfect example. Equipped with two MAC guns, two smaller mass accelerators, 30 pods of sharpshooter missiles, 5 Vishnu nuclear missiles, an advanced point defence network integrating pulse lasers first developed aboard UNSC prowlers and 80mm stronghold mass driver point defence guns, a shield generator and top of the line engines she was a ship built for combat, her distinctive arrowhead shape moving like a dagger through space. If there was one area ships of her class could be said to be lacking in it would be their ability, or rather lack of, to support and deploy ground forces. Having only two pelicans, no fighters, no marines and only a few combat troops for boarding and defence against boarding destroyers like the _Compass Rose_ completely lacked the ability to deploy meaningful concentrations of troops. While it could use its main guns in low power to assist ground operations, along with its missile and point defence networks, there were far more efficient ways to do so that didn't involve tying up a destroyer for the job.

Captain Derosier was interrupted from his musings on the development of UNSC starship design by the beeping of communications monitor indicating he had another ship contacting him. He tapped the display and the main screen changed to show the bearded face of Commander Maximilian 'Mad Max' Smith, the commander of the _Argonaut._

"Adrien, you scoundrel, it's been too long!"

"That it has, Max"

"What brings my favourite destroyer commander out to this neck of the woods hmm?"

"Same thing as you I'd imagine. Or have you been gone rebel and become an inne but just forgot to change the uniform?"

"If anyone's going innie it's you and that gunmetal grey phallic symbol you call a ship!" Laughter erupted on both ends of the channel, and Max's face split into a wide grin. It was always the same when the two old friends talked. One would call the other, joking accusations would be fired then some jokes about the other person's ship exchanged before finally getting down to the matter at hand.

"In all seriousness though FLEETCOM's getting pretty jumpy, the last two exploration missions had a close call with jackal raiders. I guess they aren't taking chances now."

"Twice in a row? They must be getting pretty lucky to hit two classified science ops one after the other."

"Or someone's helping them. That's the sort of thing the innies would do, hell, it might be those elite bastards trying to get the upper hand, you can never tell with the hinge-heads".

"I guess, still, if they try anything now they're gonna be first hand witnesses to the effect of vacuum of jackal corpses, courtesy of humanity."

"Too right." Max glanced at his watch. "I have to go and check in with the section chiefs, so I'll be talking to you later, right?"

"You know it".

The call ended and the grizzled captains' face disappeared from the screen, replaced by an overview of the ships current speed, coordinates and heading. Any further action Adrien might have had to take to supress his boredom were rendered unnecessary by the sight of the scout ship, the _UNSC Spyglass _detaching the docking tubes holding it to the orbital elevator above Shanxi and powering up its engines, moving out away from the station to get into position.

"_UNSC Compass Rose_ this is the _UNSC Spyglass_ reporting in, we are fully prepped and heading to our final positioning point now, over."

"_UNSC Spyglass _this is the _Compass Rose,_ we hear you. Get into position and await our signal, over."

"Understood sir, _Spyglass _out."

Adrien turned to his navigation officer who was looking at him eagerly awaiting orders.

"You heard them lieutenant, get us into position, comms, give me a channel to all ships." He turned and faced forwards, looking across the bridge. "All UNSC ships, this is the _Compass Rose_, we have received confirmation that _Spyglass_ is ready to go, move to your designated positions and keep your sensors active, I don't want anything sneaking up on us." A pattern of acknowledgements sounded off as the ships powered up the engines and moved into position, two corvettes moving up to guard each side of the relay, a frigate and three more corvettes performing a precision Slipspace jump to the other side of the system, guarding the rear. The rest, including Adriens', spread out to cover all approaches to Shanxi, the relay and the _Spyglass._ Adrien licked his lips in anticipation, awaiting word that the scouts were ready to jump. While it was true they could have used Slipspace and saved themselves the trouble, it would have been slower. This was the bitter truth of the matter. While Slipspace offered unrivalled flexibility and mobility compared to mass effect engines, it would always be quicker to use the relay to travel to the system it was linked to rather than use Slipspace, as even the reverse engineered forerunner engines, easily capable of going 1000 light years a day, couldn't manage to instantly transport a ship across the entire width of human space. Eventually a compromise was reached. Due to both its limited uses compared to Slipspace and the scarcity of element zero human ships still relied for the most part of slipspace, with small mass effect engines used exclusively for accessing the relay network. While military ships were often outfitted with as much mass effect technology as practical, civilian ships would often have to make do with a simple small engine, if they had one at all.

Any further thoughts Adrien might have had on the merits of slipspace travel versus mass effect travel were forgotten once the communications monitor chimed and a voice heavy with trepidation sounded over the comm channel.

"Attention all ships this is the scout vessel _UNSC Spyglass_, we are ready to jump. I say again we are ready for mass relay travel."

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In a rather ironic contrast, Upper Captain Paxus Corvalis of the Turian Hierarchy was not feeling the stifled anticipation of his human counterparts. He was, in fact, growing more and more exasperated. Normally the opportunity to command a flotilla such as the one he was currently in charge of would be seen as an honour and a chance to show his worth to his superiors. Instead, he was fighting the urge to order the group to a halt and dock with the offending ship before kicking its commander to the floor. The offending ship? A frigate. That was really rankled Paxus. The fact that one frigate captain, a certain Lower Captain Septimus Quintus, angry at the appointment of Paxus instead of him to the position of flotilla commander, seemed to be going out of his way to smear Paxus' name and sabotage the operation. His frigate, the _Fortitude_ always seemed to be having 'engine trouble' or a 'sensor malfunction', bringing the flotilla to a halt while it was fixed. Unsurprisingly, whenever Paxus was about to order the _Fortitude_ to the nearest dock for the rest of the operation the problems would be miraculously fixed. If he dismissed the ship for no discernable reason then the Hierarchy Command would be on him like a varren on a pyjak demanding an explanation. It was, all in all, a most frustrating situation.

"Attention _THV Excellence_, this is the _Fortitude, _we are experiencing some minor engine fluctuations, requesting the group stop while we investigate."

_Spirits give me strength, _thought Paxus. "Understood _Fortitude_, all ships this is the _Excellence_, the _Fortitude _is experiencing engine difficulties, all ships come to a halt and hold position while they investigate". Once the communication was done Paxus slammed his talons against the metal rail he was standing over and fought to regulate his breathing. It wouldn't do to completely lose his composure in full view of the bridge crew, after all. It wasn't that he couldn't deal with Quintus's petty tantrums, it was the fact he was doing it while they were on a mission assigned directly to them from naval command. The Council had been growing wary of several relays after reports came in of lone unidentified vessels appearing near them before moving away. It had been decided that while it was probably pirates scavenging for scrap or lone cargo ships, no chances should be taken with the continued security of Citadel Space. So they had assigned the Hierarchy to police the distant relays bordering the almost unknown area of space, to stop any unauthorised ships from entering and maintaining the councils policy of not blindly blundering through any unexplored relays. Paxus' flotilla was one of those, two cruisers and eight frigates assigned to guard the relay designated relay 314, just like many other groups scattered across this mostly empty and lonely stretch of the galaxy. It was a thankless task, but one Paxus did with pride, honoured to be doing his duty to the Hierarchy and the galaxy. However that didn't help the fact that it was a dull, repetitive job that was taxing on the crew, spending so long out in the empty 'wilderness' of undeveloped space, away from any nearby planets to stop ,resupply and rest save for a few small backwaters and mining planets. Not to mention the fact that there was no chance of actually seeing any action, as any pirate vessel would flee rather than face down the might of a turian flotilla. It was, to be honest, a dismal situation, and one the captain Paxus could not wait to be out of. He would take up the job of policing the border with the Terminus System and the filthy batarians if it meant a way out. However that wasn't going to happen. So he was, for all intents and purposes, stuck here along with all the ships under his command, until the council felt safe enough to relax the patrols.

He had a strange feeling that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

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_Codex Humanitas_

_Codex entry: the United Nations Space Command, post-war history, overview._

The United Nations Space Command has undergone many changes since its foundation, but none as widespread as those that occurred after the end of the Human-Covenant War. For the first few years the UNSC focused on assisting with the rebuilding of civilisation, launching new ships and bringing humanity back up to its post war strength. It was hoped that many years of peace would follow and for the most part, it did. The official launching of the _UNSC Infinity_ in 2557 marked this turn of events, as the launching of a vessel designed partly with scientific and diplomatic purposes in mind was something that had not occurred for the last 28 years. For the next ten years there was relative peace but unfortunately, this was not to last. It began in 2571 when the UNSC launched its first offensive action since the end of the war. However it was not an alien target, no, it was against the colony of Venezia, which had taken advantage of the fact that the shattered UNSC could not enforce its rule to declare independence from the UNSC. Over the next decade it became a haven for rebels, insurrectionists, pirates and criminals. When, in 2582, the UNSC sent a frigate to observe the situation and deliver the demands of the UEG to Venezia the colony opened fire with an anti-ship cannon looted from the covenant on one of the many abandoned battlefields. The loss of the frigate and all those on it served to infuriate the UNSC and the people under its protection. Who were these backwater scum to open fire on the men and women who had fought and often died for the worthless colonists? Who were they to stab their protector and saviour in the back after all that had been done for them?

The UNSC launched an all-out assault on the colony, smashing aside its orbital defences and bombarding any available targets from orbit before sending in shock troops to clean out the survivors, confident in the knowledge that they had the people on their side. Although it was just one colony, the retaking of Venezia served as a useful point to mark the day the attitude of the UNSC, the UEG and humanity as a whole changed. Gone was the hopeful, peaceful attitude of the 2560's, in its place was a grim and determined population who vowed never again to let humanity and civilisation gone so close to failure. The UNSC expanded in a storm of nationalistic support, and more and more lost colonies were terraformed and re-inhabited.

Now the UNSC is a very different organisation to the one that had defended humanity last century. It became the representative of humanity on the galactic stage, rebuilt and stronger than ever before. Vast fleets of ships traverse the stars, from nimble corvettes to the backbone of the fleet in the shape of frigates and destroyers, to the heavy hitters and support ships in the shape of the cruisers and carriers, to the gargantuan dreadnoughts that can lay low any other ship that is not another dreadnought. It has thousands of Spartans at its disposal, growing stronger each programme as armour and augmentations advance, its troops march on every world, from the Marine Corp deploying from orbit to the Army defending and fighting pitched battles to the ever secretive Office of Naval Intelligence, humanity has never been stronger or better equipped.

It is the 27th century; the enemies of humanity both external and internal have been shattered or are a pale shadow of what they once were and the people of the United Earth Government look upon it all…and think it good. Humanity is ascendant over its defeated enemies. However new enemies are on the horizon and humanity will have to be careful not to let its newfound pride turn to hubris, or all that they have accomplished may well be for naught.

It is the 27th century, and humanity, with the UNSC standing over it are about to face the greatest challenge they will ever know. The fate of the galaxy may well be decided in theses next few short years.

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**Authors Note**

Okay. Well, there you have it people. Chapter 1. Things are about to come to a head. While I got this chapter out fairly quickly I won't keep up this update speed, especially over the December-January period were I'll be taking tests for every subject I'm currently studying (mock ones, admittedly, but its good practice). I'm not so sure about this one. I feel I could have dragged it out more/developed some things more, but we'll see. I can't escape the feeling I've overused the comma way too much, and some paragraphs seem too long on here. Not to mention the complete pile of fail that is Microsoft Word Starter 2010 (I've had to end the task and reopen word about 10 times just writing this).

Halo 4 never happened, in case you didn't realise from the prologue (I don't blame you, I'm not very happy with it). Some elements, like the _Infinity _and Laskey will be incorporated, but the whole plot as a whole never happened and the UNSC never found Requiem (yet). Expect first contact to go on for a bit, as I'll be showing it from the POV of groups like HIGHCOM and the council as well as the people there. Negotiations and official meetings won't happen straight away. As always any questions you have, leave them in the review section or pm me and I'll try to answer them, please review and let me know what you think.

Also let me know what you think about the codex entry, was it good? Would you like to see another?

_Sierra-614673_: Don't worry, the centre alignment was prologue only, unless I think the codex entries look better centre aligned (I'll compare them next chapter.) As I said in the chapter, pretty much the only use for eezo travel is to relay jump, everything else is Slipspace (weapons tech will be at least eezo upgraded, but I'll show that when they appear in the story so I don't break up the flow by inserting tech specs for everything in the middle of an unrelated chapter).

_SpartanDog1_: The ruins were prothean, the idea I was trying to convey was that they found the old forerunner ruins and built inside them rather than clear them or set up new buildings (save resources etc.). Like I said earlier, eezo transport is used for relay jumps only to cut travel time down, a lot of civilian ships don't have it at all and eezo availability is a big concern for the UNSC. Although humanity has reverse engineered forerunner tech I thought it was made pretty clear in the novels that their stuff is nowhere near forerunner level, whether its engines shields or weapons (like the covenant, they're pretty much using homemade knockoffs of forerunner tech).

_Ferduran_: as I said, eezo isn't common enough on good enough for wide scale use; everyone uses Slipspace with mass effect drives used just by the military and rich civilians for relay jumps. Humanity is still going to have most of its tech based off forerunner stuff, but it won't be so 'advanced' as to blow everything else out of the water, remember its essentially low quality copies they're making with the help of the engineers (like the covenant but better).

_Reviewer A-196: _Human Covenant war ship based MACs hit with 64kt, not megatons, it is spelt Sangheili (it has a 'h' in it, check pretty much every published piece of work) and finally I find it most humorous that an illiterate anonymous review sprouting off complete nonsense as if it were fact is saying I know nothing of the lore despite the fact I have Halopedia and Halo Nation always open on a tab while writing, have all the novels aside from Evolutions and the latest Greg Bear novel in my room within reach, have all the games and use the Halo Encyclopaedia to rest my goddam mouse on.


	3. Chapter 2

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to all of you. There, I said it. I know I said I would have the next chapter out ages ago and I didn't, but please let me explain. I'm an idiot. Really, I was so stupid. There was the new chapter, complete and checked, ready to be uploaded and read. I was tired and in a rush, so I uploaded it and logged out to race outside and not miss the bus to the town centre. Except I didn't actually update the story, just upload the story to the doc-manager. Yeah. Cue me not logging on for ages due to 3 weeks of exams, Christmas/New Year and yet more exams in January, only to log back on and have people wondering where the new chapter was and suggesting I'd abandoned the fic (irony, considering the summary). So I'll say now I am so sorry for my sloppiness and I will do my utmost to keep on schedule._

Reclamation and Ascendancy

Chapter 2: Cooler heads and Trigger Fingers.

* * *

_The Shanxi System, UNSC space_

_UNSC Destroyer UNSC Compass Rose._

Everything was going well. Captain Adrien DeRosier stood on the bridge of the destroyer _UNSC Compass Rose_ and waited for the scout ship _UNSC Spyglass_ to announce it was ready to jump through the Shanxi Relay. All around the system various other UNSC ships moved into position to cover all approaches to the relay. Frigates led pairs of Corvettes through space to reach their destination. If things went bad they would be the first ships into the fray until reinforcements arrived. The corvettes would move ahead screening the larger ships before making contact, at which point they would race forwards to engage the enemy putting pressure on the opponent and bringing their own weapons into range. While the enemy was off balance due to the harassment and rapid attacks of the corvettes the frigates and destroyer would pound the enemy into submission with MAC rounds and missile volleys, either destroying the enemy or causing him to retreat (provided the opposing ships were of similar size and number to the Shanxi group).

The projector beside the Captains station flickered into life and the familiar blue figure of the ships AI appeared next to Adrien. "Captain I have prepared a report for FLEETCOM as per your instructions. Do you wish for me to send it?"

"Yes. Thank you Dimitri". Adrien turned to face the AI with its familiar blue avatar. Every AI chose a unique avatar; some like Dimitri chose normal human figures whereas some chose outlandish or unusual appearances to suit their tastes. Dimitri himself took the form of a grim moustached man, clad in heavy, primitive armour and wielding a battered rifle. He looked like an electronic version of the images of Koslovic soldiers from the Interplanetary Wars of the 2160's were Koslovics, Friedens and UN forces battled it out across the solar system. The war had been a victory for the UN and the newly formed UNSC Marines, resulting in the formation of the UEG and the Callisto Treaty of 2170. It was old history and was barely remembered compared to the far more recent and horrifying events of the 2500s, but it was not completely forgotten.

"Sir the _Spyglass_ is ready to make the jump and all ships are in position. They're waiting for your go." The Communications Officer told Adrien.

"Understood. Dimitri, send the report. All ships this is the _Compass Rose_, prepare for phase two of the operation. _Spyglass,_ jump on my go."

"_Spyglass _copies_ Compass Rose_, we await the go ahead."

"Jump in three, two…one!" The _Spyglass_ engaged its mass effect drives and flew towards the relay before being engulfed in a blue glow. It rocketed forwards and then vanished into space as it was propelled past the spinning relay."

A few seconds later the communications console came to life. "_UNSC Compass Rose_ this is the _UNSC Spyglass_. Successful jump, I say again the jump was successful."

Adrien smiled as a muted cheer passed over the bridge. "Understood _Spyglass_, continue the operation. All ships phase one is complete. Continue to monitor all traffic in-system and stay on your toes." He closed the channel to the rest of the security group. "Dimitri send an update to FLEETCOM, the jump was a success and we are proceeding as planned."

"Understood Sir."

"You might want to get comfy people, we're going to be here a while."

* * *

_En-route to Relay 314, the fringes of Citadel Space_

_Turian Hierarchy Heavy Cruiser THV Excellence_

Upper Captain Paxus Corvalis stood on his command post, situated in the middle of the _Excellence's _bridge, raised off the floor so that he might stand tall amid the activity of those under his command. Around him various talons tapped away at holographic interfaces, preparing for the patrol fleets exit from ftl. He looked at the holographic display at the centre of the bridge, showing all 10 ships of the scouting flotilla arranged in formation as they made their way towards the relay arranged in standard patrol pattern, one cruiser for four frigates, ready to patrol the borders of civilised space, remaining ever vigilant in their thankless task; or in this case simply suffering silently as they were ground down by the monotonous job with no end in sight. Paxus understood that tasks like these had to be performed by someone and he was proud to do his duty to the people of the galaxy, but that didn't change the fact that it was wearing down his crew and his ship. His eyes scanned the bridge, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Ensigns worked at their stations engrossed in their own tasks, all helping to keep the ship running. They, like Paxus, were slowly growing impatient and restless, awaiting their turn to be rotated back to civilised space where they could unwind and relax before arriving at their next posting. They were Turians, the finest soldiers in the galaxy; they could do this job for as long as their superiors wished. They might not enjoy it but it was not their place to question orders, only obey them.

He turned around, only to be faced with the sight of his Executive Officer Severus Septimus making his way across the bridge towards him with a datapad held in one hand. Paxus briefly saw reports from other areas of Citadel Space, details of increasing pirate activity and the Council moving more and more ships to the border with the Terminus Systems in response to escalating tensions between the two areas of the galaxy. He was unable to read anymore however, as Septimus stopped in front of him and saluted sharply. Paxus returned the salute, bringing his gaze up to look Septimus in the eyes. Septimus was young and fairly inexperienced. He was like many his age, eager and confident in the supremacy of the Hierarchy over the other nations of the galaxy. It was a view that every Turian held at some point, one that they would quickly lose as they did their compulsory military service and experienced the wider galaxy. When they were pinned down with their platoon in some spirits-forsaken battlefield only to be rescued by an asari commando squad dropping down from above and ripping apart the enemy, or saved at the last second from an ambush by a salarian recon team sending a warning or perhaps having their ship saved from a pirate group by a batarian warship patrolling Hegemony borders. They would all soon come to realise that the Turian Hierarchy was not the dominant power of the galaxy and that it was only through cooperation with the other races of the citadel that they achieved the greatness and success they had grown up knowing. A great Turian admiral, during the aftermath of the Krogan Rebellions, had once said "the weeping widow of Palaven is no different from the widow of Thessia or Sur'Kesh". It was a phrase that still rang true centuries after it was first said, and for Paxus it held a bitter truth.

Septimus cleared his throat. "Captain, we're almost at the relay. Shall I give the order?" Paxus nodded and turned to face forwards towards the front of the ship as Septimus spoke into his omni-tool. "They're ready Sir, just say the word."

"Understood". Paxus cleared his throat and toggled the comm channel to broadcast to all ships. "All ships, this is the _Excellence_, prepare to drop out of faster-than-light travel on my mark. In three, two, one…mark." As one the flotilla dropped out of ftl and into the system, still in formation. "Excellent. All ships move into designated positions and begin sensor sweeps of the system. Navigations put us on a course for the other end of the system, take us past the relay." The helmsman acknowledged the order and began typing on his holographic interface. The _Excellence_ shifted and rotated to face the desired direction before its powerful engines came to life, propelling it through the vast emptiness of space. Paxus smiled, so far the operation and execution was going flawlessly. He looked towards his XO. "Septimus prepare an update for command, will you? Inform them that we have arrived in system on schedule and will proceed to patrol the-"

"Captain!" The ships communications officer spun around to face the two officers. "Sir, the _Unyielding_ has detecting an unidentified vessel near the relay!"

"Onscreen." Paxus strode forward to get a better view. On the main viewscreen the various readings and displays changed to show a patch of space near the relay, with a strange ship in the centre of the screen. "Magnify this please."

"Yes Sir." The image changed as the view zoomed in onto the strange ship floating benignly through space, making no obvious response to their presence. It was a curious affair, black with a rather boxy appearance, a sharp contrast to the smooth gentle curves of asari vessels or the sharp predatory look of turian ships. If anything it looked more like a cargo freighter than any military ship, although the dimensions were still different.

"Could it be pirates?" asked Septimus, giving voice to the question that they were all thinking.

"Possibly" replied Paxus, studying the image. "However if it is then why the colour scheme? Not to mention why go for something like that when you'd need something that looks normal and won't attract attention. It seems too unusual to be a pirate ship, and there doesn't look like there is many place to mount weapon systems or all the other systems you'd need."

"Maybe it's a privately owned vessel" offered the navigations officer. "It could be the personal yacht for one of those billionaire CEOs or tycoons that can afford to have their own ships personally designed for them."

Paxus thought on it. "That's a possibility as well, but there are still too many questions left unanswered. Why go for the black boxy look? I mean there aren't even any windows! If you were to go through the trouble and expense of building your own private ship you'd have lots of windows and make it nice to look at so that everyone can see how rich you are. I doubt you'd impress many people in a black rectangle."

"How about a corporate vessel?" suggested Septimus. "There are lots of those flying about. They use them to travel the fringe systems scouting for profitable locations to mine or set up a base of operations. The further away you are from developed space the less regulations there are, after all."

"Doubtful" declared the communications officer. "They haven't responded to us and they're not broadcasting any form of identification. Not to mention from what we can see there isn't any markings or identification on the hull."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that actually" said the crewman controlling the view feed. He tapped a few times at his console before the view changed. The view zoomed closer to the ship before focusing on one of the frontal sides of the ship. Adorning the side was a series of alien markings, white standing out against black, reading _UNSC Spyglass_. It was clearly a name of some sorts. An alien name.

Paxus cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had fallen over the bridge. "I think it is clear now that we are not dealing with a simple corporate scouting trip. Everyone to your stations. Comms, prepare the first contact package, alert the rest of the flotilla. Septimus ready a message for the council, mark it urgent. Tell them we have encountered an unidentified alien vessel in the system and that we are preparing to send a first contact package. Make sure they receive it as soon as-"

"Sir!" a crewman called out urgently. Paxus felt a brief flare of annoyance at being interrupted twice in 30 minutes, but quashed it quickly.

"What is it crewman?"

"The alien ship Sir, it's moving."

"What?" It was true. The alien ship had powered up its engines and was moving towards the relay remarkably fast. "Dam it we must have spooked them. All ships form up on the _Excellence_, make no hostile movements. Navigations plot a course to follow them but don't move us yet".

"Unknown vessel is now moving towards the relay. Relay is activating...It's gone. Sensors can confirm the unknown vessel has made a relay jump through relay 314. Orders Sir?"

Paxus ran a hand over his face, briefly obscuring the red stripes tattooed onto his face. He faced a dilemma. Did he wait for orders from the council or follow the ship through the relay? If he rushed into this he could trigger a war, ruin any hope of a peaceful first contact and permanently mar the reputation of the Turian Hierarchy. However if he waited for the council they could lose the opportunity to make first contact before the respective governments could flood the system with warships and turn everything hostile.

"Are we going to follow them Sir?" asked Septimus.

"I don't know, Septimus. If we follow them we could make first contact before they panic and prepare a military response. We could ensure that they have a peaceful transition to the galactic stage. Also it is our duty to the galaxy to ensure that we monitor any threats to galactic peace. If we let that ship go they could rouse up support for a military expedition and put our citizens in danger."

"Could they really pose a threat to us Sir? We have the support of every citadel race behind us. These are probably another young race taking their first steps beyond their home systems."

"Threat or not if we allow them to panic because their scout saw a mysterious fleet waiting for them outside their home system they could draw the wrong conclusion. The last thing we need is for a frightened race of newcomers to shoot our diplomatic ships and bring the wrath of the Hierarchy on themselves because _we_ didn't want to make first contact when we had the chance."

"It seems we have two choices then Sir. Either could bring ruin on us and condemn us to some backwater colony, or worse, get us _discharged_." That was what every turian feared. A dishonourable discharge was the ultimate shame a turian could suffer, worse than any military blunder or being barefaced. It showed that one was unable to handle their responsibility to the galaxy. It showed they would not or could not do their duty to their own people. It marked them as a failure. It marked them as fundamentally un-turian.

Paxus sighed, and then look up at the screen still showing the image of the strange alien vessel. He made a decision. It was one that would be hotly debated by scholars and military theorists in academies for years afterwards. Whether or not it was the right decision under the circumstances would be argued back and forth endlessly, but Paxus would stand by his decision. He steadied his breathing and toggled the fleet wide communication channel open.

"All ships, this is Upper Captain Paxus Corvalis of the _THV Excellence_. Form up on me and prepare to jump through relay 314. I fully accept all responsibility for my actions and regardless of the outcome will endeavour to ensure that all blame and punishment shall fall upon me and nobody else in this flotilla. I will not allow whatever race lies beyond that relay to prepare for war and doom themselves to destruction because we did not send the first contact package when we had an opportunity. I make this choice knowing full well the risks and dangers that we face because of this. Should any bad fate fall upon us because of my decision I apologise to you all and will willingly accept any fallout with high command. The blame shall stop at me. Prepare to jump on my mark."

He turned to his XO, resolute and resigned to his choice. "Septimus, send a high priority message directly to the council and naval command. Use the urgent content protocols. Tell them everything that has happened, send them the recording of that ship and tell them what I intend to do. Include my reasons and tell them that should anything bad happen to this flotilla I accept any and all blame and humbly request that they do not punish my crew or any other for my mistakes. Tell them I'll try and deliver updates whenever possible." Septimus tapped on his Omni-tool for a few minutes before hitting one last button and looking up.

"Message sent Captain."

Paxus nodded and steeled himself. "This is _Excellence_; all ships prepare to jump on my mark. Jump in three, two, one and mark". As the words left his mouth the mass effect drives on the _Excellence_ activated and interacted with the relay, engulfing the cruiser in blue light briefly before propelling it through the vast reaches of space, followed immediately afterwards by the rest of the flotilla.

* * *

_The Shanxi System, UNSC space_

_UNSC Destroyer UNSC Compass Rose_

Adrien sat in the captain's chair and drummed his fingers on one of the sides. He was bored. The crew were bored. The entire picket was bored. He wouldn't be surprised if the people back at FLEETCOM HQ monitoring the updates were bored. It was an inescapable fact that if your ship was assigned to picket and security duty for a relay scouting operation, you were going to be bored. All you could do was sit back and wait. Then wait some more. If you were just an ensign manning a console you could use the endless stream on data and readings to keep your mind occupied but if you were a senior member of staff you were stuck.

Adrien ran a hand through his gelled brown hair, slicked back as always, and fought off a yawn. It wouldn't do to act lazy and unprofessional while on duty, after all. Adrien was saved from death by boredom, however, when the comms console came to life and a panicked voice broke through. "_UNSC Compass Rose _this is the _UNSC Spyglass_. We have a major problem here Sir!"

Adrien sat up straight, all traces of inactivity gone. "_Spyglass _this is the _Compass Rose_, calm down and tell us the problem."

"10 unidentified vessels have just appeared in system! They're moving towards the relay!"

"Shit. Have they made any hostile movement?"

"Not yet sir, they either haven't noticed us or are deciding on a course of action."

"Are they Covenant remnant or elite?"

"Neither Sir. It's difficult to describe. They're all…angular. Lots of straight lines and hard edges. They look more like birds than standard covenant designs. I'm sending the file now".

The main view screen in the centre of the displays changed and everyone turned to get a good look. On the screen were ten ships, two large 800 metre ones and eight smaller ones measuring around 200 metres. All of them used the same basic shape, a long 'fuselage' or hull that widened as it went back with two angular 'wings' coming out and back from the sides. The _Spyglass_ was right, the design was nothing like the bulbous purple, smooth ships that the elites and covenant remnant used. This was something else.

"There is no way that's elite and it sure as hell doesn't look like something the brutes or jackals would use. Dimitri, sound general quarters. Get the crew to their stations." Throughout the ship alarms sounded and crewman raced to their stations, engineers headed for engineering and marines raced to the armoury. "All ships this is the _Compass Rose_, move to general quarters. There is an unknown alien presence beyond the relay. I want every ship to form up on the _Compass Rose_. Frigates alongside, corvettes in front. Ready fighter squadrons and prepare for combat. Comms, prepare the first contact package."

"_Compass Rose _this is the _Spyglass_, the ships are moving towards us, their sensors are active. They've seen us Sir. Request permission to fall back through the relay."

"Damn it." Adrien had a choice. If he allowed the _Spyglass _to withdraw the alien ships could follow through the relay, which would put Shanxi and the security group at risk. However by now the aliens would already have realised there was something on the other side of the relay, and if they wanted to go through there was nothing the _Spyglass _could do to stop them. Far better to let them through and avoid losing the scout and keep things peaceful than to fire on them and start another war with an alien power. "Permission granted _Spyglass_. They know there something here now anyway. Better to make contact on an equal footing than to be outmatched."

"Sir I have sent an alert to the governor of Shanxi and General Williams on the planet below. The Army garrison is mobilising and the Militia is helping make preparations if things turn hostile."

"Good job. Dimitri. We need to let HIGHCOM know about this. Send a message to both HIGHCOM and NAVCOM. Use the emergency channels. Override protocol 7-Alpha-1-1. We need to get word out ASAP. Let them know we are preparing to send a first contact package and stress that things haven't gone violent yet. If they panic and flood the system with an entire fleet things could go very wrong."

"Understood Sir. I am sending now."

"Captain!" one of the bridge crew cried out. "The relays moving again. They're following the _Spyglass_!" It was true. The _Spyglass_ was moving at full speed away from the relay towards the waiting group of ships and the relative safety of Shanxi but the relay was still active. Moments later the relay flared again and one of the larger vessels appeared in front of the assembled human ships, followed closely afterwards by the nine other alien vessels.

Adrien gulped. "Here we go. All ships ready weapons, prime missiles and spin up the MACs but don't move to acquire a target yet. Nobody makes a move until I give an order. Comms, prepare to send the first contact package. Let's hope things go a bit better than last time we made first contact."

* * *

_Codex Humanitas_

_Codex entry: Human foreign policy and relations (Pre-Shanxi Contact)_

The United Earth Government, as the sole governing body of humanity, bears the task of representing humanity on the galactic stage as well as ruling it. The task of maintaining diplomatic relations with other races is shared jointly between the UEG and UNSC in order to ensure that the best possible outcomes are reached and that there is no unintentional (or intentional) inconveniences suffered by one group at the hands of the other.

Humanity has maintained diplomatic relations with the successors of the Covenant Separatists, the New Sangheili Dominion; however the best term to sum up the state of relations between the two states would be 'cold war'. There is no love lost between the two sides, humanity hates the elites for their part in the genocide of humanity and the elites hate humanity because they (in their eyes) are responsible for the collapse of the covenant and the loss of sangheili dominance over the other races. Humanity wants peace, but xenophobia and isolationism are the two staples that underline humanities stance on the galactic stage.

Things are not quite as simple as that, however. Every race is made up of individuals who all have their own views. The majority of humanity is in favour of peaceful relations with the elites (even if it is for the sake of human security rather than any notion of friendship); indeed many hope that in the future relations will have improved. But humanity does not forget easily. The attempted annihilation of humanity will cloud UEG-NSD relations for the next few decades at best. The division between what people think about the elites was perhaps best shown during the ONI 'civil war in the mid to late 2570's. In essence the elites discovered the many operations ONI was running that aimed to destabilise their government and trigger yet more bloodshed. This discovery, rather than splinter the elites as the operations tried to do, united the elites through rage and anger over the action of the group. How the group (dubbed 'kilo-5') were discovered is not known, however it is believed that the commander of the groups unprofessional and lax behaviour towards important information (including a complete lack of understanding of 'need-to-know) contributed to the groups downfall. It was only due to the tireless efforts of the Arbiter, Fleet Admiral Hood and UEG Chancellor Jellicoe that war was averted. As the high command at ONI moved to contain the fallout the members of the culprit group, along with sympathisers in ONI and various other groups, fought back and attempted a coup, believing that the threat from the elites needed to be ended 'permanently' and that current leadership lacked the will necessary. Although ONI and the UNSC prevailed it would take the better part of two decades before the stain left by the ordeal on human-elite relations could be cleared. On a side not this is believed to have led to the founding of 'Cerberus', a terrorist group originally made up of ONI hardliners who answered the call of a mysterious figure who claimed to have been a major figure in the attempted coup.

On the NSD side attitudes are also divided. The current majority, under the strong and able leadership of the arbiter, favour peace and cooperation with the humans, partly because peace allows them to focus all efforts on recovering and fighting off marauding brute war bands left over from the dead covenant. A small minority of this group support closer interaction with the humans. This group is composed both of young elites who didn't fight in the war and know only of their fathers' sins and religious elites who believe that they should try to earn forgiveness for trying to wipe out the forerunners chosen successors.

However many elites feel deep resentment against the humans for 'besting' them in the war and would like nothing better to go back and finish the job. While the Arbiter has been able to keep them in check this group has a large, well-entrenched group of supporters in comparison to the Arbiters shaky and tenuous control, meaning the balance of power is hanging delicately between them.

While there is no longer open conflict between humanity and the elites, the uneasy peace is looking ever more fragile. Currently only the problem of Covenant Loyalist leftovers, pirates and the knowledge that war could doom them both is the only thing stopping the situation from escalating. Tensions are at an all-time high, pressure is building on both sides and things are not looking good.

The situation is a giant powder keg, and even the smallest spark could set everything off.

* * *

**Authors Note**

Alright, Chapter 2 is up. Like I said sorry about the delay. I have several exams across January so progress will be slow, but once we reach February I will be able to write more and the pace will increase. This chapter was bigger than the last, which is something I'm pleased with, as for a while I was struggling to get things going. I decided to post right now the general overview of what I plan on writing in terms of story 'arcs', in other words I'll give you a brief overview of what's coming up and what it'll contain.

I think it is important to mention that I will tweak the power levels of the different factions. The Reapers and ME races will get a buff so they can compete and Humanity won't be as powerful as a postwar halo humanity should be after 50 years of peace. This is because I don't want to write a stompfic. If you want to see Me/Halo flawlessly beat Halo/ME there are other stories that offer that. Good Story over bigatons.

**First Contact** – Pretty obvious, this will cover the first contact, diplomatic negotiations, the reactions of various groups and the effect this has on the balance of power and diplomatic stage. Characters will be the two captains DeRosier and Corvalis for the most part, but the will be scenes from the point of view of groups like the Council and HIGHCOM as well.

**Rush for the Traverse** – This is the aftermath of humanity making contact. It will detail some of the effects this has on society as well as covering the rivalry between humanity, the council, the NSD and the batarians/terminus systems as they all rush to grab as many resource rich planets in the traverse as possible before the other side can.

**The Verge Skirmishes – **The fallout from the rush for the traverse. This will be about the ever increasing tension and conflict between the citadel and the terminus systems, as well as the constant pirate activity from the terminus in human and elite territory. This will also be from the viewpoint of a certain corsair named Jacob Taylor, along with others. DeRosier and Corvalis will reappear to show the viewpoint of the UNSC and Hierarchy as well as show the relationship between the two powers.

**The Terminus Crusades **– The Verge skirmishes is about the problems between humanity and the terminus, this is about the problems between the elites and the terminus (and the ME galaxy as a whole). This will detail the response of the NSD to pirate attacks as well as brute marauders (and their followers) who retreated into the terminus. The main two viewpoints at the moment will be two elites, one a SpecOps elite engaged in covert ops against major players in the terminus and the other a high ranking elite, who will be there to help show the reactions of elite society and the problems and issues dividing there race (the Arbiter will make an appearance, as will Vadum and the servants of abiding truth).

**The Human-Batarian War** – the result of all the violence and rivalry. This will follow the Skyllian Blitz and Siege of Elysium (this is where Shepard will start coming into play) along with the Conquest of Torfan and the rest of the war. It won't be a curb stomp and we'll see thing from the POV of a batarian as well. This will see a reappearance of DeRosier and the SpecOps elite. The finale and aftermath of this will be the backdrop for…

**Mass Effect 1- **I know I said this wouldn't be a retread of the first game and I meant it. This will involve Shepard, the Normandy and his team attempting to stop Saren, but they won't be the sole focus. The High ranking elite will also have some chapters about him along with others. Things will be done and go differently from the game as well.

There are other things that will be featured as well, such as how humanity deal with the krogan, quarians and geth and the general interactions between humanity and the Citadel. The next chapter will detail the exchange of greetings and the reactions of HIGHCOM and the Council (depending on length this might become two chapters). The Chapter afterwards will go back in time a little to show Shepard in Spartan training, and every so often there'll be another chapter about Shepard becoming a Spartan up until the Verge Skirmishes and Human-Batarian war arcs, where he will feature a lot more before we reach ME1. After ME1 things will take a different route compared to the games (no Cerberus team up for example) and at that point I might take a break or slow down to write or plan some other fics that I have thought about but haven't wrote.

One last thing, rather than take up even more space with the **A/N** I've decided to answer your questions via pm. If you don't have an account but still have a question leave it in the review and I might answer it anyway.


	4. Chapter 3

_I really need to stop naming dates for the next update because between revision, other commitments/interests and a piece of c**p laptop I never have the ability to actually keep to the deadlines I set. So from now on, I'll update when I update, not on some arbitrary deadline. It's taken me over an hour to open this document to finish it/update it. F*k Microsoft._

* * *

Reclamation and Ascendancy

Chapter 3: Cause and Effect, Action and Reaction

* * *

_The Citadel, Serpent Nebula, Widow System, Centre of Galactic Government_

_The Citadel Council Galactic Discussion and Meeting Room, Council Chambers, Presidium_

"He's done what?" Councillor Sparatus demanded, eyes fixed to the hologram of the Turian Rear Admiral that was being interrogated by the Council. Sparatus was livid. He was incensed beyond belief. He had planned on catching up with an old friend of his from his time in the military, finally taking a break from his duties to relax and make sure fatigue did not cloud his decisions but _no, _some hot head border patrol commander decided to go chasing an unidentified vessel through an unmapped relay right on the borders of unmapped space. With a conscious effort he fought to regulate his breathing, talons clutching the edge of the large table in the centre of the room, back ramrod straight against his chair. "Admiral, explain to me, from the start, why some junior commander off on the fringes of space has decided to throw procedure out of the airlock and go charging in like he was Blasto the spirit-forsaken Spectre!"

"Perhaps you should control your breathing first Councillor" offered the Salarian councillor from his seat.

"_Thank you_ Malal" Sparatus responded, sending the offending Salarian a withering glare before turning back to the admiral

The Rear Admiral, to his credit, remained composed when faced with the rage of the Councillor. He waited for Sparatus to finish and for the other two Councillors to focus on him before making his report. Clearing his throat, he began. "Councillors, approximately 60 minutes ago Galactic Standard Time one of our border patrol groups encountered an unidentified vessel in the proximity of relay 314 at the border of known space. The group consists of ten ships, two light cruisers and eight frigates under the command of Upper Captain Paxus Corvalis. Upon entering the system they proceeded to begin routine scanning operations in accordance with protocol; however they detected another ship in-system hovering around the relay. The ship made no effort to communicate or broadcast its identity and ignored repeated communications from the flotilla. Before the ship disappeared they were able to establish a visual of the vessel, confirming its … alien origins."

"May we see this image please" the Salarian said, leaning forward, large eyes glued to the hologram.

The Admiral nodded and the hologram changed to show an image of the black ship floating next to a mass relay.

"So this is the mysterious ship that has caused all this trouble then" said Tevos, studying the ship. "What a curious design, very…blocky and angular. I don't recognise it".

"We have already compared its outline to every known ship design both on the extranet and in our database; it matches none of them even vaguely, so we can rule out customisation." The Admirals disembodied voice came through the speakers.

Sparatus frowned, his attention fixed on the markings on the side of the ship that read _UNSC SPYGLASS. _"Admiral, do we know what those markings are?"

"No Sir. We can guess that they exist as a way of identification. That position is similar to where we place the name and number of a ship, so it is possible that it is the same for these aliens as well. However, as to what they say? Your guess is as good as ours."

The calm voice of councillor Tevos broke through the contemplative silence that followed. "I believe there is more to tell, Rear Admiral?"

The image flickered and altered again, the image of the Admiral reappeared, talons clasped behind his back. He nodded towards the asari. "Indeed there is councillor. Upon discovery of the vessel and failure of communications, Captain Corvalis regrouped his ships and turned to face the vessel. Whether this scared them into withdrawing or they were awaiting orders we don't know but when the ship saw our flotilla heading towards them they fled through the relay to its connecting system."

"That's a violation of Citadel Law right there" muttered Sparatus, "Activating a relay without knowing where it would lead, who knows how many times they've done it. Don't the fools realise what they might unleash?"

"You should not be so quick to condemn them. They have no way of knowing about us, never mind our laws." Malal pointed out.

"I would have thought common sense would tell you not to race around activating things you don't understand" Sparatus responded. "Those laws were made for a reason. What if this race stumbled into something like the Rachni hmm? Can you imagine if their first contact was with the Krogan or the Batarians? It would be a disaster both for them and for us."

"If we could forget this for the moment Councillors, I believe we have wasted enough of the Admirals time" Tevos pointed out, ever the peacemaker.

Sparatus turned back to the Admiral, who was still waiting patiently. "Of course, you're right. Sorry admiral. Continue, please".

"Thank you Councillor." The Admiral cleared his throat before continuing. "The sudden disappearance of the alien ship left Captain Corvalis facing a dilemma. He could either follow through the relay or wait and contact his superiors, who would pass this along until a course of action was decided and he received new orders. He chose to follow."

Sparatus sighed. "Of course he did, thick-headed idiot. I don't suppose he gave a reason did he?" _Stupid captain, charging through without a second thought like a krogan-_

"He did as a matter of fact. Captain Corvalis believed that by waiting we would be jeopardising our chances to make first contact as peacefully as possible. He thought that by delaying we would give this civilisation time to bring as many assets as possible to bear at their end of the relay. In doing so any first contact would devolve into two forces facing off and add excessive hostility into the first contact, which would put too many people on edge and increase the chances of something going wrong. He was also of the opinion that by leaving this young race in the dark we risked leaving them to their imaginations as to why there was a group of mysterious ships at the other end of 'their' relay and why they weren't coming through. There was a risk of their imagination getting the better of them and assuming the worst."

"Sound reasoning" declared Malal. "Obviously his decision is questionable, but I cannot fault his reasoning. He perceived a risk and took steps to neutralise it. He believed that a peaceful first contact would be put at risk if he did not act, so he acted, to protect both his people and these aliens."

The Admiral spoke up once more. "There is one more thing Councillors. Captain Corvalis, in his message requested that any punishment for his actions should fall on him alone and that his crew is not made to suffer for his decisions, as is the Turian way."

"How admirable. However if this does take a turn for the worst I am not sure the public would be satisfied by the Captain alone suffering should anything bad happen" Tevos pointed out. "I think in the face of public outcry his request may have to be ignored in favour of-"

Sparatus looked at her sharply and the Admirals mandibles flared momentarily before he regained control. "That will not be happening Councillor" Sparatus said, keeping his voice in check. "I will not allow you to throw those crew members to the varren because of one bad choice. We WILL honour the Captains request in accordance with the Turian way of punishment in accordance with Navy regulations. The Captain and his crew are soldiers of the Turian Hierarchy and you would do well to remember it. I'm sure if this was an asari flotilla you would not be saying the same thing."

"I always treat all races of the Citadel equally Sparatus, as should you. I merely expressed my concern that the public-"

"This is wasting time." Malal interdicted, shutting down the conversation. "We will address this issue if it becomes an issue, not before. We have more important concerns."

The Admiral nodded in agreement. "Indeed Councillors. I believe that the first contact packages are about to be exchanged." _That_ got everybody's attention.

"Alright then." Said Sparatus, as they all stared at the screen. "Let's see what we are dealing with."

* * *

_The Shanxi System, UNSC space_

_UNSC Destroyer UNSC Compass Rose DD-362_

Aboard the bridge of the Defiant-class heavy destroyer _UNSC Compass Rose _one would be forgiven for thinking that the ship was crewed entirely by mutes. Everyone on the bridge waited with baited breath as Captain DeRosier stepped forward into the centre of the bridge in front of the main screen. On the screen the 10 alien ships were still waiting, floating through space, silent and unmoving. Eventually the communications office turned to look at the Captain. "Sir, we have prepared the first contact package. Just need you to say the word and we'll send it straight to them."

"Seems almost pointless really, considering they won't have a clue what they're saying. No matter though. I suppose I should say a few words. Prepare to send the message." He briefly checked his uniform, making sure everything was done up and was up to scratch. "How do I look Dimitri?"

"Exceptionally dashing Captain." The AI responded dryly. "You look like you're fresh off the recruitment poster."

"Hilarious. Alright, you ready Lieutenant?"

"Yes Sir. Ready? Good. We transmit on my mark. Three, Two, One… Now!"

Adrien steadied himself. "Attention unidentified vessels. You have entered space that is under control of the United Nations Space Command. I am Captain Adrien DeRosier of the destroyer _UNSC Compass Rose_. On behalf of Humanity and the United Earth Government I bid you welcome and hope for long and peaceful relations between our peoples. I am sending you a first contact package as I speak. However I must warn you that although we offer you our hand in friendship we will not hesitate to defend ourselves from any and all aggressors. We eagerly await your response." He nodded at the communications officer to signal that he was finished.

"Message sent Captain. All we can do now is wait."

On the screen they watched the first contact package play out in front of them:

An image of Earth, green and blue, turning peacefully as the sun appeared from behind it, bright light breaking across the edge of the planet. Early civilisations, great cities and buildings of stone and wood spread across the land. Groups of people meeting each other, exchanging hands in friendship. The scene changed again. Tall wooden ships cutting their way across the rough ocean, roads stretching into the distance. Men of science bent over a desk, peering through a microscope, Primitive railways and steam engines moving across through the countryside. Man's first flight. Rockets and satellites launching into the sky, carried aloft on great pillars of fire. The first man in space, man's first steps on the moon, man's first step onto Mars. The first lunar colony, the first Slipspace jump. Numerous Colony ships setting down on uncharted worlds. A purple ship floating above a brown and green world…

"That will be enough Dimitri" DeRosier spoke suddenly. "I don't think we need to examine the whole first contact package as well as the aliens."

"Of course Captain. My apologies." The images faded, replaced with the alien ships still floating in space, idle and unmoving. "I am detecting an incoming transmission. It would appear that they are also sending a first contact greeting of some kind."

"Better some files than a cannon round, open it as soon as we finish receiving it. Better make sure HIGHCOM can see it when we see it, don't leave them out."

"Yes Sir."

* * *

_The planet Reach, Epsilon Eridani System_

_HIGHCOM facility Alpha-1, UNSC Security Council Emergency Meeting Chamber_

Inside the most secure location in the entire star system the six members of the United Nations Space Command Security Council were about to discuss one of the biggest discoveries in the last several decades. Around the crescent-shaped table six figures exchanged glances. Two of them were present personally, having been on Reach at the time, the rest were holograms of the other members who were located around the rest of UNSC Space, two aboard ships, one on Chi Ceti IV and one on Earth.

General of the Air Force Richard Gettering leaned forwards, resting his elbows on the desk. "Gentlemen, ladies, I trust we are all in a secured location away from prying eyes?" A chorus of nods and affirmations went around the chamber. "Very good. Director, would you care to begin?"

One of the holograms nodded at him and the man cleared his throat. He wore a navy uniform with the insignia of an admiral. He was the Director of the feared Office of Naval Intelligence, the eyes and ears of humanity and de-facto on of the most powerful men in the UNSC. His black hair was groomed perfectly and his piercing blue eyes swept the room, visible even through the hologram. "Fellow members of the Security Council, in the last hour one of our relay exploration groups made a _remarkable _discovery, or rather, encounter. The scout ship _UNSC Spyglass,_ when exploring the system on the other side of the Shanxi relay, was joined in the system by ten unidentified vessel of unknown make and origin."

The central screen flicked into life, showing the image the _Spyglass_ had recorded and sent to the _Compass Rose_. As one the other members of the Security Council turned and studied the image. The Admiral spoke again. "We have some of the latest and best AI's assigned to work on this as we speak and waiting for more information, as well as some human experts."

"So what happened once the scout took this image?" said the woman, turning back to the Director. Unlike the others she wore no uniform; instead she was clad in power armour, minus the helmet, with an eagle emblazoned on one shoulder. She was the head of the Spartan branch of the UNSC, a general, if the Admiral remembered correctly.

"The alien vessels turned towards the scout and began heading towards it. The ship's commander requested permission from the commander of the security group to withdraw through the relay. He gave permission and the _Spyglass _retreated to Shanxi."

"Makes sense" the Marine Corps General said. "Face them from a more equal footing; let the senior officer take control. They would have known there was something there anyway. Who's the commander?"

"Captain Adrien DeRosier, _UNSC Compass Rose, DD-362_." The Director responded, having done his homework. "Graduated Lunar OCS academy with in the top bracket, was flagged as having potential, received commendations for his actions during a brute bandit ambush and was promoted to Captain for it."

"So can we trust him not to screw up?" the quiet voice of the Fleet Admiral asked, eyes not leaving the Director, once black hair now fully grey. He was old, but still one of the best officers the UNSC Navy had, having received his promotion to the upper echelons by Lord Hood himself.

"I believe so, though it is impossible to say. He has conducted himself well so far. Anyway, the scout withdrew and Captain DeRosier drew his group up to face the relay and defend Shanxi. The alien vessels followed through and arrived in the Shanxi system no more than half an hour ago. They are currently in a standoff and I believe Captain DeRosier has just sent the first contact package." As he finished the communicator in his ear burst into life. The excited voice chattered in his ear before falling silent. The Director removed his hand and looked back towards the rest of the Security Council. "I have just received word that the aliens have responded. The _Compass Rose _has just forwarded us a copy of the first contact package. Prepare the screen and alert the senate."

The General of the Army spoke next. "Guy, we need to send a message." Immediately a projector in the centre in the desk switched on and an AI avatar appeared. He took the appearance of a chivalric knight, clad in steel plate and chain mail, a heater shield with heraldry in the form of a UNSC eagle in one hand and a sword in the other. The helm was stylised with two bits of metal in the shape of bird wings sweeping backwards from the side of the helmet and a group of feathers rising from the top backwards like the plumage of a great bird.

"What do you require Sir?"

"I need to you prepare to receive and show the first contact package the Director mentioned. Also send a message to the UEG Senate and President Huerta, along with a copy of the package. Let them know about it and make keep an eye on Huerta. Don't let him lose his head."

"Of course Sir. Showing the First Contact Package…now."

Immediately the lights in the chamber dimmed, the avatar winked out of existence and the image on the screen changed. It showed a group of stars. Immediately a calm and serene voiceover began to talk, slow and measured. Although no one knew what it was saying the voice sounded feminine. The Image changed. It showed a group of aliens, one amphibian, one jellyfish like, one looking like a bipedal raptor, one looking like a gorilla/elephant hybrid, one looking like a beach ball in a suit, one a 4 eyed, hairless human and one a blue female with tentacles on its head sweeping back. The last was disturbingly like a human. The group was standing together, looking relaxed, obviously attempting to show cooperation and friendship. The image then changed, showing a large station against a backdrop of a nebula, surrounded by a multitude of ships of all sizes.

As one every member of the Security Council felt a cold, clammy feeling grip them. A collective of races, gathered together on a large space station, surrounded by ships. No. It was too similar. It couldn't happen again. It _couldn't._

The images continued oblivious to the discomfort of the viewers. The avian aliens in blue armour, watching over crowds of other aliens. Obviously protectors of some sort. The avian ones again, arranged in rows on parade, obviously communicating martial pride and ability. The amphibian race was next, showing groups of them in a sterile looking environment, probably a lab, clustered around a collection of monitors and instruments, implying science and innovation. The blue females next. One of them, stood between two other aliens, arms raised in a gesture of peace and calm, negotiators perhaps? It continued on showing many other races in various situations, all of them positive. Eventually it drew to a close, the last image of smaller younger aliens, most likely children, grouped with a group of adults, all of them with their arms open, as if ready to embrace someone.

The silence was deafening. Eventually the Fleet Admiral broke the silence. "So…there we have it. I think it is obvious that for the time being we have nothing to fear, or rather, that we don't need to prepare for war."

"What should we do?" Gettering asked, still staring at the screen. "It was so…similar, yet different. What if it turns out like last time again?"

"It won't." The Fleet Admirals voice was firm. "The nearest fleet is the 9th fleet, I'm putting them onto standby, they'll be able to flood the Shanxi system with ships the moment the situation calls for it. We need to prepare a diplomatic team, and we need their language decoded ASAP".

Guy's avatar appeared again. "The package contained several files Sir. Among them is what appears to be an encyclopaedia and dictionary, complete with images. Our AI's are already working on it, and I believe so are some huragok."

"And the Senate?"

"Panicking. Huerta seems to have given up trying to calm them. He is requesting a meeting at your earliest convenience."

"Good, he needs to be in on this. Tell him we'll talk straight away tomorrow, all of us."

The Director, who had quietly watched, spoke again. "We need to let the Arbiter know. Something this big…we have to let him know now or it'll cause us a lot of pain later."

The others nodded. Rivalry or not, alien or not, trying to conceal this would quickly become impossible and would needlessly jeopardise relations. Not to mention that they would need to be unified, or at least have the border between the UNSC and Sangheili secure should things turn sour.

Slowly the members of the Security Council left, holograms deactivating and others standing and leaving the room until only the holograms of the Director and the Fleet Admiral remained. The Fleet Admiral turned to the Director.

"I need you to pull out all the stops. Every ONI asset available needs to be ready. We might not need them but we cannot afford to take chances. Not now."

"I agree."

"Do you think…do we stand a chance?"

"I hope so. We're better prepared now than ever before. Will it be enough?... Who knows?"

The Fleet Admiral looked contemplative for a moment. "I have orders to give and Admirals to contact. The fleets won't mobilise themselves."

"Good luck Admiral Lasky."

"Good luck Admiral Harper".

* * *

_Codex Humanitas_

_Codex Entry: UNSC ground forces_

The military forces of the United Nations Space Command have changed over the last five decades in response to developing technology and other external factors. The average soldier is much better equipped, wearing armour that would have made Human-Covenant War ODSTs jealous. It is fully sealed and equipped with kinetic barriers, which although not very powerful compared to other types in use can mean the difference between life and death. Marines and Troopers still wield weapons developed by Misriah Armouries, the latest in the MA line of assault rifles and DMRs. However newer weapons like railguns are becoming more and more commonplace. Stealth technologies are developed to new heights, especially those used by Special Forces, and Spartans become deadlier with each upgrade. A standard Spartan team will be equipped with railguns, machine guns normally found in vehicles, sniper rifles developed from the Stanchion of the 26th century and other top of the line gear.

Drones are also used to a far greater extent, originally due to humanities reduced population and now due to general usefulness. Airborne drones are equipped with advanced stealth systems, missiles that can gut an IFV and the latest observational and detection gear. Unmanned ground combat drones are essentially miniature tanks, with micro-rockets and heavy machine guns. All of which operate without human control thanks to the advanced UNSC AI and computing technology. Ground and air vehicles receive significant upgrades and can now go toe to toe with even the toughest opponents.

Say what you will about humanity, but one thing that is not in doubt is that they are very well armed.

* * *

**Authors Note**

Well, it's finally here. Sorry for the wait. I was operating under the impression I would have until the end of March to indulge in my interests a little before knuckling down and preparing for June/July exams but that was not the case. Real life must come before fan fiction unfortunately so this snail's pace will continue until the end of July, but afterwards…

This was originally intended as a double upload but I cannot open or otherwise touch the 4th chapter due to how appalling bad Microsoft starter 2010 is so it appears I will have to re-write it.

Next chapter will show Shepard and the rest of his Spartan team getting recruited, which will also give me a chance to show off some of the changes I will be making to the Spartans and the UNSC as a whole, because let's face it the UNSC is so ridiculously under-teched it isn't even funny. I mean 26th century and you're using bullets from the Vietnam War and a tank that would lose to a modern-day MBT. I will try to keep the UNSC 'feel' though so no super radical changes. Yeah…

Also both of the Admirals in the last scene are canon characters, Lasky is from Halo and Harper is from Mass Effect, although he doesn't go by that name in the games. I wonder if anyone will guess?

As always please review and ask any questions you have and I'll try and answer!


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